A WELLINGTON INVENTOR'S

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 281, 18 October 1889, Page 2

A WELLINGTON INVENTOR'S

' Ttie loeal agftof for Tauter artfl Co has liindly fufnyhe'a. i n& mi& me follqwinjr ifcenx'of sppq»al interejit. J?flr«. and whiv'h he r,e'ceiTejl by letter' this mail from ihe London o£Rce of the li o6mpany'f - ** A ! nWr patent to*pedo la'incb, d rfpned by Mr Eagan, Ensine-ir, '.r^Welliigtoni New Ztal'jihd, w>b <r*»i«ea Wo 2 tffr-fhe recent NavaV -review' off Vim^A^fiitii/ and was highly ebftmend&l ! by" Tord Charjes Bere«»f oTd arid bfflcers of the * diniralityl Tb'e v latinch t&velled 22 knotk : an h*tfri and nianoauvred around ther&Sttnan squadron, and escoi't^d'ftt^the'Kle of Wight. Mr Kganisniwpbi^ctQt Cnathdra with jhißtorpedo.bi*t^j;wFr^uwaWy the Press Association agent in London did not think the item worth cabling. This launch was built for the inventor by Mr H.Berg, late of Clyd*. quay, in this city early in thq present year. In February lait w

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published a short notice calling attention to the fact that a model f or a new patent torpedo boat was being built, but acceded to Mr Egan's request that the matter should not be- further divulged. The matter having taken the present favour- -■• able turn, we deeinourselves at liberty

■:'•' to give a few particulars of the craft, f which it would appear is going to revolutionize this class of naval war- ■• fare. The launch and machinery "were designed by Mr Egan, who was ■ at one time on H.M.S. Hood and .;■ was n]Lso iv the Union Co., and '.titted-uip one torpedo boats for the fxovesnnient when they arrived from Home some 3 or 4 years ago. The )nodel which has turned out so well

measures 15 feet in length, between perpendiculars of 17 feet over all ; , j sfcti is 3ft Bin beam and the same in depth. Her machinery wherein the patent naturally lies was all made in Wellington under it* designer's personal supervision. It was iso constructed as to work by stoain, hand, , f <, or compressed air power and which •-ever of the latter two is uged one • man can work it by means of sma 1 crank handle^ '.'driving the machinery at such a rate as to give the extraordinary speed of 450 revolutions a minuted' at a calculated .spood , through the water of 22 knots. The , boat in question was built of kaiu.i, ■ with top sti-eaKs of. Singapore cedar, jiud "kuqes, etc., , of rata root in its natural 'growth. The gunwale was "nil 'aid with cedir and kau i, and „, V^e was a very .pretty little boat al- . together as seen out of the watei*, one peculiar featuro being the pre- ■■ settee of a screw ■' propeller and the absence of a- smokestack. This ! "wGudeifui little craft was inspected by, Sir ■William Jervois, the then tioyernor of the colony, and Admiral Fairfax, and the" officers of the squadron, which happened to bo iv 'harbour about that time. "Wo heard at the time that ou one 6cL ension during' the last visit of H. M. vS, Orlando the boat was taken from her. clocks in the builder's shed and placed in the water and raced the ; launches of the fleet up to and back from Petone, beating them signally Admiral Fairfax was very mush struck with the invention, and con-

sidered it unparalleled for the purposes of coastal defence, estimating

its value to the British Admiralty at >no less a sum than £50,000. Sir Wni. .Tervois was interested in the Voat, and we understand that it went

..■Pome practically in his charge. Mr Egan was in former years the -jni il in this class of work of Captain Faulkner, well known in Wellington.—Evening Press.